Bradley University Names New Illinois Small Business Development Center Director

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Bradley University is pleased to announce Eric Sampson as the new SBDC Director. In his role, Eric will advise individuals who want to start a business or expand existing businesses. His specific areas of assistance include developing business and marketing plans, financial projections, business formation issues, and obtaining financing. He will also assist owners and managers of existing small businesses to identify solutions to business-related problems to expand and diversify their sales.

Eric brings a diverse background in finance, technical development, marketing, and real estate and investment management. He previously served as the CFO and Chief Trading Officer of Edgewater Trading, Inc. His areas of interest include supporting entrepreneurs and local small business owners toward capital funding options, market expansion and improved profitability, and supporting growth, hiring and competitiveness through innovation and effective strategies.

Eric received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Bradley University. He is an organizer of 1 Million Cups, the host of various entrepreneurship and start-up networking events in Peoria. He can be reached at illinoissbdc@bradley.edu for small business support. Services are confidential and provided at no cost.

About the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Bradley University: The SBDC provides advising, training, and other resources to assist entrepreneurs in starting or owning their own business. It assists existing companies in strategic development, financial planning, marketing, and business valuation. Additionally, it helps individuals and companies identify, evaluate, and pursue technology commercialization projects that lead to innovative products and services. This includes making connections with Bradley University resources, local partners, and capital providers to support related funding. Visit bradley.edu/turnercenter for more information.

About the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley University: Established in 2001 by a gift from Robert ’77 MBA ’78 and his wife Carolyn, the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship builds on Bradley University and the Foster College of Business historic strength in small business education and development. For nearly 50 years, the Foster College of Business has provided business training and technical assistance to start-up and existing businesses including one of the nation’s oldest student-based consulting projects. The establishment of the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship strengthened Bradley’s commitment in entrepreneurship by bringing together related services and helping to grow the local economy. The Turner Center includes the Illinois Small Business Development Center, the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center, and the Illinois Procurement and Technical Assistance Center.